


On the Other Side of the Field of Battle

by AriadneKurosaki



Category: Bleach
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Valdemar Series Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, IchiRuki Week, Lifebonds (Valdemar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:42:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27207580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriadneKurosaki/pseuds/AriadneKurosaki
Summary: Alone and rushing to find a healer for her injured fellow Herald, Rukia is met by Ichigo and his men along the border between Valdemar and Hardorn, countries that have always been allies. As the flame-haired Hardornen commander provides aid and shelter, a spark grows between him and the petite Herald.But when a kingslayer takes the throne of Hardorn and the two countries war, what will happen to two people caught in the fray?
Relationships: Kuchiki Rukia/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35
Collections: Ichiruki week





	On the Other Side of the Field of Battle

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: IchiRuki Week day 3, There's a curse between us
> 
> While not a proper crossover per se, this story takes place within Velgarth, the world of Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar. As a quick primer, I offer the following. 
> 
> Valdemar and Hardorn are countries within the world of Velgarth, and they share a border. A key component of Valdemar's societal structure are the Heralds, individuals who possess strong moral fiber and are Chosen by a Companion to serve the country. Heralds are messengers, spies, information-gatherers, peace-keepers and civil marshals; they resolve disputes; they act as agents of the Crown. Companions appear to be snow white horses with bright blue eyes. Heralds and Companions are exclusive to Valdemar, although citizens of other countries and territories have been Chosen as Heralds from time to time. Hardorn, as we enter this story, is an ally of Valdemar led by the fair-minded King Alessandar.
> 
> For those of you familiar with the series, this work takes place during the last third of the book By the Sword, although I've compressed the timeline between the end of Arrow's Fall and that segment of By the Sword.

The first time he sees the pretty Herald, she is riding circuit up along the Hardorn border alongside an older colleague, one with gray streaked through his dark hair and a patrician look to his face. She’s young by comparison, and tiny atop the beautiful mare she rides. Not a horse, precisely: Ichigo knows that the mare isn’t a horse at all, but something intelligent and almost otherworldly. Though he’s seen only a few Heralds this close to the border between Hardorn and Valdemar, he knows enough to know _that_.

The second time he sees her, only a week later, she is alone, and her Herald whites are streaked with blood. There is a wild look in her eyes and with barely a thought he directs his horse over the rocky hillside and crosses over the border, Uryuu and Chad not far behind. His dark horse catches up to the woman’s exhausted Companion easily.

“Lady Herald – Lady Herald, do you need help?” Ichigo asks in accented Valdemaran, glad that he has learned enough of it to understand when she responds.

“It’s not my blood, it’s – Herald Kaien has been injured, I’m going for help,” she tells him, but her voice is cracking despite the way she holds herself up in the saddle.

They’re not supposed to just wander into Valdemar unannounced, but Ichigo knows that the nearest Valdemaran town is another three candlemarks by horse, and the nearest border station is three candlemarks in the other direction. The not-horse she rides is much faster, but the mare’s sides are heaving and flecked with sweat. He exchanges a look with Uryuu and makes his decision. “We can help, Lady Herald. Chad, get back to the fort and get Hanatarou. Uryuu, you’re in charge of the fort until we return.” He says the orders in Hardornen, and the woman’s brows knit together.

“It’s – Herald Rukia,” she says, after a moment, and Ichigo nods shortly.

“Herald Rukia. I’m Commander Ichigo Kurosaki. If you lead me to Herald Kaien, Chad will follow with our healer, Hanatarou. What was his condition when you left him, and how far is he from here?”

The words seem to calm her; Herald Rukia straightens up in the saddle again and her hands loosen from their white knuckled grip on the reins. “He has a chest wound and both of his legs are broken,” she explains. “He’s half a candlemark west of us.”

Ichigo nods again and looks at Chad. The larger man knows enough Valdemaran that he, too, just nods and spurs his horse toward the fort. The broken legs – that’s probably not life-threatening. But the chest wound is.

Rukia’s companion swings around and they are off without another word. Ichigo follows, and though his horse is fast, he knows that he’s only keeping up because the Companion is tired. What would make the not-horse tired almost doesn’t bear thinking about; they’re rumored to be almost tireless, after all. It can’t have been the ride from wherever the other Herald is; it must be because of whatever attacked them.

The ride west is silent save for the hoofbeats beneath them; the Companion’s hooves sound almost bell-like when they strike the ground. Ichigo checks for the first aid kit in his saddlebags as they ride, and nods in satisfaction. He might be able to stabilize this Herald Kaien, at least.

They turn off the road and Ichigo notes the arrows stuck into the ground, their fletching tattered. A signal, he supposes, of where Kaien is. He follows Rukia into the rocky, wooded area beyond the road and eventually they dismount, leading their mounts to a cave. The other Companion is there, foreleg bandaged and blood dampening its white coat. There’s a lot of blood – and Ichigo doesn’t think it all belongs to the Companion.

“He’s in here,” Rukia says, and walks into the cave. Ichigo grabs his kit from the saddlebag and follows. Rukia’s Companion stares at him, hard, and he scowls at her.

“I’m here to help, and I know you’re intelligent enough to know that,” he tells the not-horse. The mare stares at him again, and then jerks her head in what Ichigo is pretty sure passes for a nod. He nods back, and ducks into the cave behind the Herald. The smell of blood hits him, coppery and thick in the small shelter.

Rukia is kneeling beside the other Herald, this Herald Kaien, and Ichigo falls to the other man’s side. His legs are both at odd angles but it’s the chest wound that horrifies him as he carefully undoes the makeshift bandages, already soaked through, that are wrapped around the man’s body. Because it’s not just a slash or a mere _wound_ : it’s deep, and he’s surprised the man isn’t already dead. “Is there water nearby?” he asks, and Rukia hands him a canteen.

“There’s a little stream further into the cave, I can get more.”

“Do that, and build a fire. You’ll need to boil the water,” Ichigo instructs. Without ceremony he tears the other Herald’s shirt the rest of the way open and uses the canteen water to wash some of the blood away so he can see the wound better. “Herald Kaien, can you hear me? I’m Ichigo Kurosaki. There’s a healer on the way but I need you to stay with us until he gets here.” Then Ichigo digs through his kit and finds more bandages, wound powder to stave off infection, and not much else.

He isn’t a healer like Hanatarou is, but there’s always been – something – that he has been able to do. Ichigo finds the thread of Kaien’s lifeforce and grabs for it, feeding some of his own strength into it. The man takes a ragged breath and Ichigo huffs. “Shouldn’t be long now,” he says quietly, as Rukia builds the fire and sets a small pot over it to boil. He bandages the wounded Herald as best he can, although the white fabric is soon soaked through with blood.

Fortunately, it isn’t long before they hear the sound of more horses. Chad stays outside but Hanatarou hastens in and Ichigo gives up his place beside the wounded Herald. “Thanks, Hanatarou,” he says and wobbles a little when he stands. It’s taken more than he thought to keep the Herald alive, and Ichigo is _tired_ , suddenly. But as he watches, Hanatarou takes over the thread and he can let it go.

Some time later, Hanatarou rises and murmurs to him, “We should really get him back to the fort if we can. He needs time to heal. It would take a full day to get him back to Trevale, and it would aggravate his wounds.” The words are in Hardornen, so Ichigo nods and kneels by Rukia’s side.

“Hanatarou says that we should transport Herald Kaien to our fort. He says it isn’t safe to transport him to Trevale yet,” Ichigo explains quietly. “We can get a message to the nearest border crossing so that your people know where you are.”

She doesn’t like it, he can tell immediately by the way her body tenses and her shoulders pull up towards her ears. But then Herald Rukia looks at Kaien again, and sighs. “It’s…irregular, but we would appreciate your hospitality,” she says in a soft voice. No longer quite as desperate for help, the alto tones in her voice are pleasant. But Ichigo senses – something, and he looks more closely at her. Her eyes are unfocused and a little glassy, her balance a little off.

“You’re concussed, aren’t you?” he asks, and switches to Hardornen. “Hanatarou, can you come take a look at her?”

The young healer scoots over, heedless of the dirt on his uniform, and stares into Rukia’s eyes. His hands come up to her temples and he hums under her breath. “Concussion,” he agrees. “I can take the worst of it, but she’ll be tired, after.”

Ichigo translates, and Rukia holds still as Hanatarou works silently. “Let’s get going – I want to get back to the fort before nightfall,” he orders, and leaves the cave to talk to Chad.

It turns out the gentle giant has anticipated their needs, because there is a sling of thick, study fabric between the two Companions. “This is better than what we’d be able to do with our horses,” Chad explains.

Ichigo scrubs a hand through his bright hair. “Thanks, Chad. This is perfect. Hanatarou and I will bring him out.” He looks at the Companions again, and Herald Rukia’s mare is staring at him once more. But there is something different in her eyes this time, and Ichigo – well, Ichigo’s not sure what it means, but at least she doesn’t look suspicious of him this time.

It takes a few minutes, but Ichigo and Hanatarou are able to maneuver Herald Kaien out of the cave and into the stretch of fabric between the Companions. Ichigo checks the straps tying it to the Companion’s saddles and barding, then nods firmly.

Hanatarou mounts his horse and Ichigo looks to Rukia, who is swaying on her feet. Between the concussion and the adrenaline, he supposes she must be ready to fall over. “Herald, my horse can carry us both,” he says.

“I ride only Shirayuki,” she says stubbornly, though she has a hand to her head.

Ichigo glances at the not-horse again and raises an eyebrow. “And she is carrying Herald Kaien,” he points out. “Don’t be stubborn, little Herald.” The words slip out before he can stop them, almost an endearment, and he has to fight down a sudden blush and a _where did that come from_?

“Stubborn?!” Rukia protests, but before she can get further Ichigo snorts and loops an arm around her.

“Stubborn. You’re concussed and exhausted, and we’re your allies,” he says as he lifts her easily onto the saddle of his horse. Before she can scramble down, he swings himself up after her and settles, her back to his chest. She’s so petite that the saddle isn’t even that uncomfortable. “I swear on the bones of my mother that you’re safe with us, Herald Rukia.”

After a moment she relaxes against him and Ichigo takes up the reins. She’s warm against him, and he can still feel the small weight of her body in his arms. It’s an odd sensation and once again he’s not sure where it came from. Oddly, Shirayuki looks _smug_ , he sees when he glances back again. If a Companion can be said to look smug. But Ichigo just gives a hand signal and they ride, as fast as they can without aggravating Kaien’s injuries, back toward the fort. Chad leads while Ichigo and Hanatarou bring up the rear, behind the Companions and their burden.

They reach the fort in a candlemark; it’s a small building, with only twenty-five men stationed there, but there is an infirmary, and Chad carries Kaien to the empty bed without any trouble. Rukia follows before Ichigo can stop her, and when they enter the infirmary the Herald, mercifully, only just regains consciousness as he is set in the bed. “Rukia,” the man mumbles. “Where…?”

Ichigo exchanges a look with Hanatarou. “Herald Kaien, you’re at a cavalry fort across the Hardorn border. You have my word that you are both safe and among allies here,” he says slowly.

“I’m here, Kaien,” Rukia says and drops to her knees beside the bed. “Ichigo has offered to get a message to the closest Valdemaran crossing. I’m sorry that I wasn’t strong enough to keep you safe.”

Kaien groans faintly and lapses back into unconsciousness before he can respond. Ichigo crosses the room and gently lifts Rukia to her feet. “Come on. I’m giving you my quarters for the night, but let’s get that message written,” he says gently.

“I’m not – Heralds aren’t like what you’ve read at all, we don’t just…sleep with everyone,” Rukia hisses at him, but Ichigo just blinks.

“Of…course you don’t? I’ll be sleeping in the barracks with my men. I’m giving you my room so you’ll have _privacy_ as the only woman here,” he retorts.

Her cheeks turn rosy, which is actually _adorable_ , but he just steers her to the modest but private rooms that serve as his sleeping quarters and office. Despite her words she doesn’t actually seem to mind much that he’s got his hand in the small of her back, nor does she protest when he helps her into a chair at his desk. He digs around for paper, ink, and a quill. “Do you feel well enough to write?” he asks. He’s sure she _can_ write – he doesn’t know much about Herald training but he’s sure it must involve _that_ at least.

“I have to be. Heralds can’t just disappear on circuit,” she says. Ichigo leaves her be while she writes but doesn’t go far; he tidies his sleeping quarters and changes the sheets on the bed. When she’s done, and has a note for him, she hands it to him along with a pair of arrows fletched with mud gannet feathers and banded with some colors. It’s odd, but she doesn’t explain – just says, “Please send those as well.”

Ichigo nods briefly. “I’ll send someone out right now, and ensure your Companions are taken care of. Do they eat grain and mash?”

At her slow, somewhat pained nod, Ichigo steps outside and calls for one of his men who usually has evening guard patrol. “I need you to get these to the Valdemaran crossing three candlemarks west of here. Tell them we’re taking the best care we can of Herald Kaien, and we’ll keep their Heralds safe until they can provide an escort.”

The man he speaks to, a thin blond with a dour expression, nods solemnly. “I’ll leave right now, before it’s full dark,” he says. Then, more quietly, “There’s been some murmurings from the capital. I’ll see if I can pick anything more up while I’m traveling.”

The words send a chill of foreboding down Ichigo’s spine, but he nods briefly, and turns his attention to getting the Companions fed and the Herald’s belongings brought inside. Chad is already giving Herald Kaien’s Companion a thorough wash when he gets to the stables, and another of his men is preparing two empty stalls with soft bedding. “Good. Leave the stall doors open for them,” Ichigo orders.

When he returns to his quarters with the saddlebags from Shirayuki – who had stared at him again for a long time before she started eating her evening meal – Rukia is slumped down on the desk. It sends another chill of panic through him, but when he looks more closely, he can see that she’s awake and that there are tears on her cheeks. He closes the door with a deliberate thump – not a slam, but a sign that he is there, and watches as she scrubs her hands over her face. “Ah. I brought in your belongings,” he says. “Do you feel up to a meal with the others?”

The mention of food prompts a low growling sound from Rukia’s stomach, and he hides his grin behind his hand. “I think so,” she says hesitantly.

“Good. Why don’t you get cleaned up and I’ll escort you into the mess hall? There’s water in my sleeping quarters. And - don’t worry, we’re mostly civilized,” he says, trying for humor. He doesn’t know why the sight of her tears has him wanting to comfort her; maybe he’s gotten soft, living on the border of an allied nation.

Rukia waits until Ichigo has left again and shut the door behind him before she digs through her bags for a clean uniform. She still has Kaien’s blood down the front of her clothes, and under her nails. She makes use of the water pump she finds in his sleeping quarters; the water is ice cold, but she doesn’t care, it feels good to get cleaner and wash the blood from her body. She’ll have to try and get the blood from her uniform somehow, but her stomach is growling fiercely.

 _The bright-haired one, this Ichigo, knows more about us than I expected_ , Shirayuki says into her mind suddenly. _He and the big man he calls Chad are very respectful._

Rukia hmms under her breath and dries herself off before changing into the clean trousers and tunic she’d pulled from her bag. It makes her feel a little better as she pulls her boots back on. _I’m glad they were here to find me. Kaien could have died before we got back to the border town._

 _Nejibana was holding him on this side of the veil. But yes, we were very lucky._ Then there is a sense of amusement as Shirayuki adds, _Ichigo’s awfully handsome_.

She’s glad she’s still alone, because her cheeks flood with red. Rukia busies herself with strapping her sword back onto her waist, although she doubts she’ll need it. _He’s a Hardornen commander_ , she points out.

_And?_

_And he took an oath to serve his country and his king._

_Hmn._ There is something in the murmur of Shirayuki, something foreboding – but when she thinks a question at the mare she is silent. Not for the first time, Rukia wonders what the Companion isn’t telling her. But she puts it from her mind and instead opens the door of her temporary quarters. Ichigo is waiting outside, and true to his word he escorts her to the little mess hall – big enough for forty but occupied with less than thirty men who are all serving themselves from large trays.

“Here, I’ll make a plate for you,” Ichigo offers. The other men are looking at them, and Rukia clears her throat uneasily. “They won’t bother you,” he says very quietly as he picks up a metal plate and begins to fill it. He gives her what looks like twice as much as she can eat, but when he sits her down at the end of one table and fills his own plate before joining her, Rukia finds that she really is ravenous.

This time she catches one or two smirks, but they seem directed at Ichigo. _He’s very solicitous_ , she thinks, and Shirayuki snorts in the back of her head.

 _He thinks you’re a pretty woman,_ she points out.

_You didn’t read his mind?_

_Of course I did. I had to know what we were getting ourselves into. Nejibana read the minds of half the men here. They’re honorable soldiers who wouldn’t be out of place in Valdemar, actually._

Rukia hides her smirk in a napkin. _Valdemar isn’t the only source of honorable soldiers, you know._

“I’ve sent a man with your message,” Ichigo says quietly when their meals are half-eaten. “He may stay the night at the border station, but he should be back with an answer of some kind early tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” she says, equally quiet. “Your Valdemaran is very good. Where did you learn it?”

“Hn. Figured I’d need it, stationed on the border like this. It’s come in handy a few times,” Ichigo explains. His eyes meet hers and this close, she can see that they are a little paler than she thought, amber with flecks of gold in them.

They’re – _nice_ eyes, _kind_ eyes. And she thinks suddenly that it’s something of a shame that he’s so far east, here on the border of Hardorn. Her circuit, when Kaien is healthy enough to travel, will take her back along the East Trade Road and away from him.

 _Well, you might be here for some time_ , Shirayuki interjects.

Her Companion’s words stick with her as Rukia turns in for the night in a borrowed bed. She’s touched by the fact that her host changed the sheets; they smell freshly washed and crisp beneath her hand. A knock at the door startles her and Rukia hesitantly opens it; it’s her amber-eyed host, looking rather sheepish.

“I apologize, Herald Rukia. I need clothing for tomorrow,” he says, hand scrubbing at the back of his neck. He looks so very young like that, and Rukia wonders how long he’s been a commander.

“Of course,” is what she says out loud, and opens the door wider to let him in. He flushes at the sight of her, dressed in the faded tunic from her old grays that she uses as a nightgown. It covers her almost to the knee, but she supposes he must not see women very often. Or at all.

Ichigo clears his throat and strides past her; she watches him gather up clean uniforms and nightclothes, enough for a few days. When he is done, there is quite a pile in his hands and he nearly drops a pair of socks as he walks back to the door. “Sleep well, Herald,” he says formally.

She returns the formality, knowing it for what it is: a way to cling to professionalism in the face of the fact that he is attracted to her. “You as well, Commander.” She wonders at the fact that she feels the same, and there is something strangely intimate, she thinks as she settles down to sleep, about being in his bed – even if he isn’t in it.

The dour soldier, whom Rukia learns is named Izuru Kira, returns shortly after breakfast bearing a note for her, but he barely says two words to her before he drags his commander away. She doesn’t understand much of what they say – she’s picked up only a few words of Hardornen – but from their hand gestures it sounds concerning.

But it’s clearly nothing to do with her, she thinks; the note she receives tells her to stay put, that a second healer is being sent for and will arrive in three days, and that she can continue her circuit when Kaien is well. There is a coded message as well, that if she hears anything unusual from the Hardornens to take note of it. She has no idea what that could mean – but Shirayuki has been acting suspicious as well.

She spends three oddly quiet days at the little fort on the border. Kaien wakes intermittently but struggles to string together more than a few words before exhaustion pulls him back under. Ichigo makes himself available to her as unobtrusively as he can (but she always knows when he’s nearby). When the healer arrives with an escort of Hardornen guards, she can see that these men are rougher than Ichigo’s company, much rougher by half, and he seems to take it upon himself to keep his body between hers and theirs until they leave. It isn’t obvious, she thinks, to the rest of the guards, but as Rukia speaks with the healer in stilted Valdemaran he is there, taller and larger body keeping hers out of their sight.

This healer examines Hanatarou’s work and performs additional healing on Kaien, but when he straightens up his mouth is set in a firm line. “Even with my skill and Healer Yamada’s, Herald Kaien will need to rest for another three weeks. The bones in his legs were damaged very badly – they were not clean breaks and Yamada’s bone-setting skills could only do so much. Even the trip to the border station could aggravate his injuries,” he explains. “Additionally, his chest wound is not healing as fast as I’d like. Commander Kurosaki, I know it is a burden on you, but your continued hospitality would help this Herald heal.”

When Rukia sees the scowl on his face she expects Ichigo to explode, but then he looks at her, eyes dark, and says, “We’re honored to continue helping our allies, Healer. Whether it’s three weeks or three months.”

But that night after dinner, Rukia pulls him into his quarters with her and says quietly, “If we’re a burden, we can try and leave earlier. A Companion’s gait is very smooth, Kaien’s legs would probably be fine.”

Ichigo just snorts. “You’re not a burden on us,” he denies.

“But you were so angry when the healer told you that we needed to stay for three more weeks,” Rukia protests. When his lips quirk up, she raises an eyebrow.

“That’s not what I was angry about,” Ichigo explains. “I was…” He clamps his lips shut on whatever he was going to say, but there is a _soft_ look in his eyes all of a sudden.

“You were…?” she prods.

His cheeks color and Ichigo glances at the closed door, then at her. “I didn’t like the way the healer was looking at you,” he finally grumbles, and looks away from her. “It’s not my business, but I didn’t like it.”

Rukia’s blush echoes his, she’s sure; her cheeks are hot and it doesn’t help that Shirayuki is in the back of her head again, laughing. “Well. I wasn’t looking at _him_ ,” she mutters. “He’s old enough to be my father. Don’t Hardornens have any women in the guard, or are you all as – as deprived-looking as him, except for anyone who’s _shayach_?”

“Che.” The embarrassment fades from his eyes and he looks more amused instead. “Prince Ancar has been taking on more of the duties of the military,” he admits. “He is…more of a traditionalist than King Alessandar, his father.” Rukia arches a brow at him and he adds, “He’s made women feel less than welcome. Closer to the southern border I hear there are still women in the archer and mounted units.”

Rukia hums thoughtfully, and passes the words along to Shirayuki. _Can you try and relay that back toward Valdemar?_ she asks. There is a sense of unease in the back of her mind. Out loud, she just says, “Seems like they’re missing out on good soldiers.”

 _I can’t find anyone within the range of our mindspeech,_ the mare admits. _I’ll try – it might be nothing, but it might be something_.

“Yeah,” Ichigo agrees. “Guess some of the higher-ups and the prince think women won’t fight as hard. It’s not what I think, but I only have command of the men here. They probably wouldn’t mind having women around; but no one has accepted a posting here in a year.”

“Well, it _is_ very remote,” she reasons. But he’s looking at her again. “How long have you been posted here?”

“Three years. I don’t have any family in Hardorn, so I volunteered to take the command posting,” Ichigo explains.

“So three years without…” She trails off.

“Hasn’t bothered me much.” But Ichigo is reaching for her, just his fingertips touching her cheek ever so lightly. “Not until four days ago.”

 _Oh._ “I see,” Rukia says intelligently. His fingers are callused but warm on her skin, and she can’t help but lean into them. And when he leans down to kiss her, lips covering hers, they are warm and soft. She stands on her tiptoes to return the kiss, to feel the soft press of skin on skin and the zing of _something_ between them that she doesn’t want to question too closely just yet.

She would do more than kiss him, actually, but Ichigo pulls away gently. “Have a good night, Rukia,” he murmurs, and cedes his quarters to her once more. It was just a kiss, she thinks, just a kiss.

But he spends more and more time with her as the days pass. The next morning, Ichigo joins her when she rides Shirayuki to keep them both from getting soft during their imposed time off the road, riding the dark gray horse she’d first seen him on.

“Do I need an escort?” she asks when he appears in the stables and watches her saddle Shirayuki.

“No,” Ichigo responds, but there is a little smile playing on his lips as he adds, “But I’d like to join you.”

It sets color high in her cheeks, but they spend two hours ahorse, and Ichigo takes her up a hillside that overlooks his country. There’s little to see, just more forest – and Rukia thinks that the men here really must get lonely. It shows in the way he doesn’t try to force the conversation but lets her lead it. It also shows in the way that he joins her for her ride with Shirayuki every single morning, though it must be pulling him away from other duties.

She – _likes_ spending time with him. She likes making him smile by telling jokes about Valdemar or about the Companions, by telling him stories of her time as a trainee and the _many, many_ pranks she used to play on her fellow trainees. She likes riding beside him, not quite feeling his warmth but still knowing his presence is close to her.

Rukia likes that he escorts her back to his rooms from dinner every night. The first few nights after that first kiss it is all he does: he gives her one kiss goodnight and takes his leave. He’s very respectful – so respectful, in fact, that it takes Rukia making the first move, ten nights into her stay at the fort, to push things forward.

She does it after dinner one evening, after they have spent the morning sparring together and giving her a challenge that she hasn’t had in _months._ Kaien’s fighting style has become familiar and predictable to her, and the Hardorn style of fighting isn’t _entirely_ different from what she’d learned in Valdemar, but _Ichigo’s_ techniques are enough of a challenge that she finds herself looking forward to the next morning.

But the night comes first. This time, instead of letting him walk away after kissing her she holds onto him, hand fisted in the shirt of his uniform and body pressed full-length against his. Ichigo gasps against her mouth and the door shuts behind him as he wraps his arm around her back and pulls her closer. “I was trying to be respectful,” he gets out, cheeks flushed, as he kisses her again.

“You’ve been very respectful,” she agrees, and pulls him toward the bed in the next room.

His eyes are honeyed amber as he lets the door into his sleeping quarters close behind them, and he tugs her close again, lips finding first hers again and then the skin of her neck, leaving searing hot kisses in their wake. He has her tunic off a moment later and his follows, along with the rest of their clothing in short order.

They tumble into bed together, his arms pulling her close as she lands on top, skin on skin. It’s been a while for her and she knows the same is true of him, but he takes his time with her, lips and tongue finding every sensitive part of her body and wringing moans from her until she collapses beneath him, body shaking and eyes wide on his. The grin on his lips gleams in the moonlight streaming in from a nearby window, but it turns to a jaw-dropped expression of pleasure when she reaches for him in turn.

When he finally slides inside her they both grab for one another, twin gasps filling the air, and it takes her squirming beneath him impatiently for him to move. But when he does – oh, when he does her mouth drops open on a long, low moan that drives him on. The rest of the world falls away, especially when – without even knowing how – they join mind to mind and their pleasure magnifies, shared between them as they move together.

When his hand slides between them she falls over the edge into satiation and he follows, her name a gasp from his lips as he grinds against her and pulls another broken moan of pleasure from her. They say nothing to one another; it’s too soon to say _love_ and saying anything else feels like it will shatter the fragile thing between them. But when he settles onto the bed next to her he tucks her close to him, and she falls asleep listening to his breathing, legs twined with his.

He doesn’t go back to sleeping in the barracks, although neither of them discusses it openly and no one else says anything. It’s odd, she thinks, until she realizes – the other men probably thought that she was _already_ sleeping with their commander. Rukia knows that this will end – at some point she and Kaien will be on circuit again – but while she has him, she keeps Ichigo close to her, and every night she lets herself grow closer to him, until he whispers softly into her ear, voice shy and legs tangled together with hers, “I’m in love with you.”

The words hurt because they’re true, and so are the words she whispers back, “I love you too.”

The next morning, word arrives from Valdemar: they are needed urgently back in Haven. They are to cut their circuit short and travel back to the capital as fast as their Companions can take them. Rukia’s heart breaks when she sees the words, and it _hurts_ , it hurts so much she is nearly bent double with it, when she swings herself atop Shirayuki and watches as Ichigo and Uryuu help Kaien settle atop Nejibana.

Ichigo escorts them back across the border into Valdemar. They say nothing; there is nothing either of them can say in the face of duty. But Kaien watches silently as she keeps her eyes on Ichigo’s until the road turns and she can no longer see him.

Being without Rukia is harder than he thought it would be. There is a constant ache in his chest and he dreams of her nearly every night. He can still smell her in his rooms, even though he’s changed the bedsheets. But Ichigo pretends he isn’t a mess, because his men still need him. The murmurings from the capital city have grown louder, and only days after Rukia’s return to Valdemar and to Haven, Uryuu slams open his office door and stares at him wordlessly, mouth open but saying nothing.

“Uryuu,” Ichigo finally says, prompting him.

“King Alessandar is dead,” Uryuu gasps out. “Ancar killed him, and he’s starting a war with Valdemar.”

Ichigo stands and the chair behind him tips over. “You’re sure?” he demands. The words make him sick to his stomach. Alessandar was a fair ruler, and not so old that anyone thought his death was imminent.

“I’m sure. He’s blaming the Valdemarans for his father’s death. Ichigo, we have to _decide_. Now.”

It’s not something they’ve said openly or out loud, but several of the men have hinted at their feelings about Ancar and the rumors they’ve heard. That he has committed patricide and become a kingslayer is only confirmation of what they all thought. “How many of the men are out on patrol?” Ichigo demands.

“Five, and Chad won’t be back from leave for another two weeks.”

Ichigo scrubs a hand through his hair. “When Chad comes back, we’ll bring the men together and talk about it.”

The day before Chad returns, another company of soldiers arrive with orders to join the rest of the army and move into position. And two weeks later, Ichigo’s men find themselves practically force-marched on horseback along the Valdemaran border.

* * *

_Four months after the death of King Alessandar of Hardorn_

The world is a place of fire and ash. Blood flows like a river and turns the ground to red mud beneath the churning of horses’ hooves. Ancar’s mages stand back behind the lines of infantrymen, and in their hands, magic creates monsters that cut through the lines of Valdemaran regulars, turning men in blue uniforms to tatters of red-soaked fabric on the ground.

Ichigo’s horse, a dark thing that looks like it can barely hold him despite his slender form, stomps restively behind the lines of infantry. Ancar’s monsters make something in his head _itch_ , and he feels sick every time he looks at them. This isn’t the war he wanted to fight, pinned between Ancar’s corrupted mages and the infantry under their control. The men – it disgusts him, but the men are largely spelled somehow. There are whispers among the other commanders that these men are controlled by blood magic.

It all makes him ill, and yet his only hope, desertion, is a path no longer open to him. Not anymore. There are men who made it over the border and turned themselves in, he knows: men who were loyal to Alessandar and not his corrupted son. But soldiers arrived at the small fort a day’s ride from the Valdemar border before Ichigo’s men could do the same. Instead, behind the infantry lines they exchange uneasy looks with one another, bodies anxious atop fractious mounts. At least they are not under a mage’s control, he thinks. At least they still have their own minds.

Ichigo has heard other rumors: that of the Queen’s Own Herald, a woman, captured by Ancar and tortured for his enjoyment. That Ancar has demanded Queen Selenay’s head on a platter. And he can see with his own eyes that Valdemar has not just their army and Heralds, but _mercenaries_ and Rethwellan men fighting for its people.

He is a dead man, he knows. He cannot turn back, can only move forward. But when his eyes meet Herald Rukia’s across the battlefield, her amethyst to his amber, he thinks: _Please, please let **her** be spared. Even if it is her blade that kills me._

The units of Heralds are spread across the field of battle, white battle leathers covering their bodies as they sit atop pure white, blue-eyed Companions. Not horses: no man who knows anything about Valdemar would call these creatures by that name. Beautiful, white, and blue-eyed, to the Karsites they are _demons_ and to Ancar of Hardorn they are…well. Rukia isn’t really sure what Ancar thinks of the Heralds. Nothing good, she’s sure, given that they have kept the Princess Elspeth out of his clutches.

Even now Elspeth is back in Haven, acting as queen in her mother’s place. Talia – Rukia pushes the thought from her mind resolutely. Beneath her, Shirayuki stomps a delicate hoof. _It does not bear thinking about,_ she tells her Chosen. _Her rescue and healing are both miracles._

The words chase a little – only a very little – tension from her body. Below them, from their place atop a hillock, the battle has not yet reached them. But Rukia has her sword strapped to her side and a quiver full of arrows slung across her back. The bow she wields is smaller than some – _she_ is smaller than some – but it will still be deadly when she uses it.

One of the Heralds further along the line finds her and Mindspeaks, _Captain Kerowyn says you are to move to flank on the east. There is a unit of cavalry there behind the infantry._ Rukia sends back a confirmation and then passes along the order to the Herald in charge of her unit of guards and Heralds. Her Gifts of Mindspeech and Farsight are useful in battle, but she doesn’t have the experience to command others. That duty is left to an older Herald, a gentle man named Juushiro Ukitake with hair as white as the coat of his Companion.

At Herald Juushiro’s command, the guards and Heralds move as one, coming down off the hillock and marching toward the eastern flank of Ancar’s army. Rukia’s Farsight tells her that the man’s army goes on for what seems like forever, and she wonders how he mustered such a force. _There are rumors, rumors only, that his mages practice blood magic_ , Shirayuki tells her. Rukia shudders in her saddle but only tightens her hands on the reins.

 _We shouldn’t be here_ , Shirayuki says as they draw closer to the infantry. _You should have told Alberich or Jeri, or this Captain Kerowyn even. They would have sent us back to guard the princess_. There is anguish in her Companion’s voice, and Rukia lets out a slow breath.

 _I can’t. You know how gossip gets around the Circle. They’d be whispering about who the father might be, and I can’t – they’d consider me a traitor if they knew,_ Rukia protests. _And we need every arrow, every Herald we can get. They’ve pressed people out of retirement for this._

They are only a short distance from Ancar’s line and the guards in Valdemaran blues brace themselves for the first charge, shields up and longswords at the ready.

And then she sees him behind the lines of infantry, tall but slender atop a dark gray horse. _Ichigo_. She doesn’t mean for the word to slip into the bond between her and Shirayuki, but the blue-eyed Companion knows already, and whickers her own anguish.

 _If he could have gotten out sooner – if we could have…_ But there is no more time for _could_ have. Back to the west Herald Griffon is aiming his fire at Ancar’s mages. This is the last battle, she knows: the Skybolts voted last night to stay. Selenay herself will be entering the battle, she knows: Valdemar has committed its forces, and if it goes ill for them all, the Heralds closest to the Queen will break her out and get her to safety.

Everyone knows that the Skybolts stayed in part because of Captain Kerowyn’s relationship with Herald Eldan. That, and the knowledge that Ancar is an Oathbreaker. The knowledge that Selenay’s people are fighting for a cause and not money.

Her eyes meet Ichigo’s again, and the pain in Rukia’s chest is so intense suddenly that she nearly bends over Shirayuki’s neck as she presses a hand to her sternum. There is a curse between them, she is sure: a curse that has seen fit to set a lifebond between her and the Hardornen commander across the border. Juushiro gives a signal and Rukia readies her bow with one of the small, needle-pointed arrows in her quiver. Around her the other Heralds do the same, and at Juushiro’s command they release them, sending an arc of steel and white fletching sailing over the heads of their own infantry – and into Ancar’s.

The man she hits dies oddly, dropping silently. It is a _strange_ battle, she thinks, for though a mounted soldier on Ancar’s side drops with a scream of pain, the foot soldiers just fall where they are, as though they don’t even feel the pain – or can’t express it. The thought sends a frisson of fear through her, but Rukia already knows the rumors.

Juushiro calls for another round of arrows and again she fires, aiming wide of Ichigo although it must come perilously close to the line of treason. _No. **You** do not need to be the one to kill him_, Shirayuki whispers as they loose another volley.

The mounted soldiers are on them then, and Rukia draws her sword. She thinks: _some of these men must be honorable_. _I am sorry to kill them_. Through mindspeech she hears that Prince Darren of Rethwellan has made it to the field, that somehow he has _turned_ a whole company of Ancar’s men to their side. And she wishes. She wishes.

But an infantryman dies on her sword and she clings to Shirayuki with her knees and one hand wrapped in the reins as they trot forward, sword swinging.

She is, he thinks, beautiful in battle. So is her Companion. They are a ribbon of white together, save for the short cap of raven’s wing black hair atop Rukia’s head, as they carve into the men before him. Ichigo thinks, _Please – don’t let her die_ again. He gives no command – but he doesn’t have to. His unit would be cut down if they committed _open treason_.

He stays as wide of her as he can, and the thin, dark-haired man closest to him seems to catch on. There is a moment where they work together, impeding the infantry as much as they can without it being obvious. Her eyes meet his again, white leathers spattered in blood. The Companion is looking at him too, but it’s all Ichigo and Uryuu can do to slow things down. He doesn’t know if any of the Valdemarans have caught on.

When the first Herald falls Ichigo feels it as a pain in _his_ chest. It’s the white-haired man who was commanding Rukia’s company, he thinks. But he sees the man get back up and suppresses a relieved sigh. Another falls further down the line and doesn’t rise again, and Ichigo loses himself in trying not to get killed by the Valdemarans. He tries to disable but not kill. But he doesn’t want to kill his own people, either.

An arrow finds his arm, piercing his bicep, and Ichigo grits his teeth against the pain but keeps fighting; at least it’s not the arm with which he wields his sword. The next blade that clashes against his is _hers_ , and they stare at one another, eyes wide and horrified amidst the dust and blood, and the screams of dying men and horses.

“I _won’t_ ,” he says, anguished, as they stare at one another across their swords. Shirayuki is staring at him too, and even his horse doesn’t move or try to push away from the white Companion.

“ _Ichigo_.” Her voice is just as he remembers, but with a note of hurt as deep as his, and her wide eyes are red-rimmed.

He opens his mouth to speak, but an arrow shoots his horse out from under him, and it’s all Ichigo can do pull his sword from Rukia’s and jump free of the dying gelding before he’s crushed by several hundred pounds of horse. In the chaos of battle he can’t even slit its throat to minimize its pain; all he can do is come up on his feet and fight, trying to stay clear of arrows and the white legs of companions around him.

He loses Rukia in the dust and the press of men, and a sword slashes open a line of pain in his calf. He doesn’t know how much time passes; he sees only the blue of the Valdemaran regulars and the uniforms of the Hardornen men; he doesn’t see any Heralds at all. Distraction means death, and so he tries not to think of Rukia, tries not to think about the way his chest hurts at the thought that she could be hurt.

Then there is a swath of white in front of him and Ichigo dances back. It’s not Shirayuki, and he thinks _at least she doesn’t have to kill me._ But the Companion has no rider at all, and its eyes are the bluest he has ever seen.

 _I am Zangetsu. I Choose you. Now get on, you idiot, before we both get killed. Shirayuki will trample me if I let that happen._ The voice in his head shocks the _hell_ out of Ichigo, but there are swords clashing around him and he scrambles onto Zangetsu’s back as fast as he can manage it.

 _You know_? He asks as he grabs for the reins and looks around the battlefield. The Heralds are staring at him, some of them, and Uryuu falls in alongside him.

“What in the nine hells?” the other man asks. “You got a _Companion_ to let you mount it?”

There is a strange space of calm around them for just a moment: it’s the shock, Ichigo thinks, of seeing a Hardornen commander on a bloody white horse.

 _Companion_. _And of course I know. We **all** know._

 _Yeah – sorry_ , Ichigo mumbles through his bond. He’d be more embarrassed about the idea that all of the Companions know about him and Rukia if there wasn’t a _war_ going on, with him on the wrong side. _What the hell do we do now? Your friends are going to think I’m trying to steal you._ He tugs on the reins lightly and Zangetsu turns in place, giving him a view of the battlefield

 _Please. Companions don’t get **stolen.** You’re going to defect, of course_, Zangetsu says, a low growl in his mind. _It’s what you wanted, all of you, when you heard about King Alessandar._

And Ichigo grabs Uryuu’s arm with his free one – heedless of the blood trickling from the arrow wound – and says, “He Chose me. And I’m not going to waste the chance to get us out. Get Chad. Get…” He bats an arrow out of the sky with his sword and reaches up, tearing his badge of command from his uniform and dropping it to the ground. “Get anyone you can. Tear off your badges.”

Uryuu stares at him but does as he orders. Up and down the broken line of cavalry and through the mud, dust, and blood Ichigo’s men stare at their commander and then do the same: twenty men in all, badges falling and quickly getting stomped into the mud by horses’ hooves as they move forward. He sees Hanatarou in the thick of it, green robes stained with blood and looking for anyone he can heal, before Chad grabs up the healer with one strong arm and lifts him onto his own horse. The Valdemarans are still staring, but Ichigo takes the lead and rides Zangetsu towards the white-haired man. Rukia’s amethyst eyes are wide and wet as they meet his.

Ichigo doesn’t even know what the hell he’s supposed to say; the Hardornen infantry doesn’t even seem to notice, as though they’re still under some kind of spell. But Zangetsu takes another few steps forward and prods, _hard_ , in his mind until Ichigo opens his mouth and says, in accented Valdemaran, “We’re defecting. All of us. Alessandar was our king, and we won’t serve an oathbreaker and a kingslayer.”

Around them the battle rages, but the Valdemaran regulars have formed a sort of perimeter and the Heralds are using their arrows to keep the other Hardornens away. A roar goes up and Ichigo turns his head: the last of the mages has died in an impressive flare of fire. And Ancar’s men – the Hardornen infantry – are screaming and turning on their own commanders even as Ichigo watches. His hands tighten in Zangetsu’s reins.

“Are you sure?” the white-haired man asks. _Herald Juushiro_ , Zangetsu supplies. And it’s apparent that Juushiro isn’t asking _him_ – he’s asking Zangetsu. The Companion just stares Juushiro down.

“Very well. We’ll need to take your men into custody, Hardornen,” Juushiro says. “Zangetsu – and Herald Rukia, apparently – vouch for you, but your men…”

Ichigo exchanges a look with Uryuu. “Fine,” he agrees. His hands are shaking in the reins and for the first time since King Alessandar’s death he lets himself _hope_.

Rukia gets word of the rout further down the line first, and she tries her best to pretend _her_ hands aren’t shaking as she reports to Juushiro: “Ancar’s forces are retreating, what’s left of them. They’re running back over the border. Queen Selenay is unharmed. Captain Kerowyn’s been Chosen – she took a blow to the head but Ratha thinks she’ll be fine. Prince—” She pauses and raises an eyebrow. “Prince Darren of Rethwellan has been Chosen as well, by Jasan.” _Three Chosen from other countries in one battle?_ she asks Shirayuki.

The Companion whickers softly but says nothing.

After that, it’s all done but the mopping up. Rukia watches as the Skybolts chase the remnants of Ancar’s forces back over the border. The Hardornen men who have defected, including Ichigo, hand over their weapons willingly and though they aren’t bound, they don’t object to being under guard.

Ichigo swears an oath, right there in the fields, of loyalty to Valdemar, and the twenty-one men who defected with him do the same, forswearing Hardorn and all loyalty to Ancar, kingslayer and oathbreaker. Zangetsu mumbles something in Ichigo’s head about how Chad and Uryuu should come to Haven; Ichigo silently promises to make sure that they do. Hanatarou has barely gotten to his feet before Valdemar’s other healers practically carry him off.

“You – you don’t have to stay under guard,” Rukia chokes out when Ichigo dismounts from Zangetsu beside her later that night and begins to remove the stallion’s saddle and battle armor. She is doing the same for Shirayuki, who led them to a quieter part of the grassy area where the Companions are staying. “Zangetsu Chose you – to the Heralds, that’s enough to know that you aren’t some kind of turncoat.”

Ichigo sets the saddle down in the grass and turns to her. His dark amber eyes are soft as they meet hers. “I gave my word when I said that I’d protect them,” he explains quietly.

Shirayuki sidles, pushing Rukia closer to him, and she laughs tiredly at the mare’s transparent efforts to get her closer to Ichigo. “We keep our word too. And Juushiro swore they’d be safe here until we can…sort things out back in Haven.”

“Hn. Is that where the army is going?” Ichigo asks.

“Yes – well, most of us. Some of the guards and Heralds will stay close to the border in case Ancar tries to make another attempt to invade us,” Rukia explains. “But I’m going back to Haven. I won’t be able to ride circuit soon. I’ll get an assignment in the city, I think, or in a town near the capital.”

The words come out without her thinking much about them, but Ichigo stares at her. “Why won’t you be able to ride circuit?” he asks. “You weren’t injured – right?”

Her cheeks burn and Rukia clears her throat. “Before the war started, when we – were together on the border,” she hints quietly. “You don’t have to worry about it, but – the moon-flower powder I bought in Trevale must have been old, or fake…”

Ichigo grunts when Zangetsu shoves his nose into Ichigo’s back and shoves him forward, so that Ichigo has to grab onto Rukia to keep from knocking her over. “The hell?” he asks. “What do you mean _I don’t need to worry about it_ , Rukia?” His voice rises until Zangetsu gives him another nudge.

“Ah…” she says, and looks away from him. “I’m with child, and it’s yours.”

He goes dangerously quiet and still as stone against her, though he doesn’t pull away. Ichigo’s hands grip her forearms and then loosen. “You went into battle _pregnant_ ,” he says very quietly. “When you could have been killed. You _both_ could have been killed.”

“We needed every Herald we had,” Rukia hisses back. “We pulled Heralds out of retirement to fight this war. If it hadn’t been for the Rethwellans and that company of Hardornens that Prince Darren turned, we _all_ could have died.”

One hand slides carefully from her forearm and as Rukia stands, pressed close to him between their Companions, Ichigo wraps his arm around her waist. “Is this why Zangetsu Chose me?” he asks slowly.

Zangetsu snorts but Rukia sees the way he winks at Shirayuki. “Choosing is the prerogative of the Companions. They don’t always tell us why. But Zangetsu wouldn’t have Chosen you just because some idiot Herald got pregnant by a man from Hardorn,” Rukia says scathingly.

 _You’re honorable - you got your men out with you, didn’t you? And you have Gifts,_ Zangetsu grumbles into his mind. _Now kiss her, you idiot_. The words startle a laugh out of Ichigo, but he meets Rukia’s eyes with his and leans down. There, tucked between two Companions and still dusty and bloodied from fighting, they kiss, lips melding and moving against one another softly. It _fixes_ something inside both of them and Rukia lets out a sigh as the pain in her chest eases, finally.

 _Lifebond_. The word echoes through them both, and Ichigo holds her tight against him. No wonder it hurt to let go, no wonder their Companions are both so _smug_ as they sidle, hiding the two of them from prying eyes. “Let me stay by your side,” he whispers. “I’ll protect the Queen, and my men, and Valdemar itself – but let me do it by your side.”

“Fool,” Rukia whispers, and kisses him again. “How could I say no?”

In the end, Ichigo doesn’t sleep in one of the tents under guard. Instead they find Rukia’s tent and, mindful of his wounds and the thousands of people surrounding the thin canvas walls, fall into sleep holding each other tight.

Word spreads through the Heraldic circle like wildfire, as Rukia expected. The next morning her closest friends are ribbing her even as they eat a-saddle on the road back to Haven. Healer Rangiku is the worst, teasing her about how she couldn’t wait even an hour to jump the new trainee, and Healer Orihime is quietly supportive, although Rukia suspects she may be biased – she catches the pretty, auburn-haired healer sneaking glances at Uryuu.

Finally Herald Toshiro says seriously, “It’s obviously a lifebond, like Eldan and Captain Kerowyn,” and the teasing dies down.

The path back to Haven is a long one, but as Ichigo and Rukia settle into the saddles of the mare and stallion beneath them, there is something soft and sweet between them: a new beginning even amid war, even knowing that Ancar isn’t done with any of them.


End file.
